Overview

Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble compounds. Vitamin A, or retinol, comes from animal
products, while Provitamin A, or ß-Carotene (beta-carotene), comes from fruits and
vegetables and is converted in the body into retinol.

Discovery and history

As many as 3,500 years ago, Egyptians and other cultures had noticed that eating liver
cured night blindness, but retinol was not discovered until 1909. It was then isolated in
1931. Beta-carotene was discovered and isolated in 1831.

Overview

Vitamin B1 is a water soluble vitamin that is part of the vitamin B complex group. Vitamin
B1plays an important role in energy metabolism and is required for proper functioning of
the nervous system and muscles, which contribute to a functional cardiovascular system.

Discovery and history

The active principle of vitamin B1 was discovered in 1897 by Dutch physician and
pathologist Christiaan Eijkman, who was researching the causes of beriberi, a common
and sometimes fatal disease that causes fatigue, weakness and heart failure...

Overview

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin perhaps most well-known for the disease caused
by its deficiency — scurvy. Vitamin C is sensitive to light and heat — long storage and
overcooking can destroy vitamin C in food, but refrigeration can prevent this loss.

Discovery and history

Vitamin C was discovered in 1912, and isolated in 1928. Doubts about the link between
vitamin C deficiency and scurvy lingered until 1939 when, to prove the link, Harvard
Medical School surgeon John Crandon withheld vitamin C from his own diet for 19
weeks until he became suddenly and seriously ill; he received an injection of vitamin C
and almost immediately recovered. Between 1500 and 1800, scurvy killed as many as
2 million sailors — on a typical long voyage, scurvy would claim the lives of half the crew.

Overview

Fat-soluble vitamin D differs from other vitamins because the main source is the sun
– vitamin D is produced in the body when skin is hit by ultraviolet light. Nonetheless,
vitamin D is recognized as an essential dietary nutrient.

Discovery and history

As early as the 1860s, scientists recognized how cod liver and sunlight – both sources
of Vitamin D – were viable treatments for the diseases rickets (in children) and
osteomalacia (in adults), both of which cause softening of the bones. However, it wasn’t
until 1918 that vitamin D was officially discovered and in 1932 it was isolated.

Overview

Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, protecting cells, tissues and organs from damage.
It also contributes to healthy blood flow by regulating the opening of blood vessels and
preventing cholesterol from building up on blood vessel walls. It is a fat soluble vitamin.

Discovery and history

In 1911, a scientist first reported a suspected “anti-sterility factor” in animals. Eleven
years later, vitamin E was discovered (1922) and then isolated in 1936. However, it
wasn’t until 1968 that the Food and Nutrition Board of the US National Research
Council finally recognized vitamin E as an essential nutrient for humans.

Overview

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin that occurs naturally in plants, especially leafy green
vegetables, and in some dairy products. This vitamin is best known for its role in helping
blood to clot properly — the “K” comes from its German name, “Koagulationsvitamin.”
Vitamin K occurs naturally in two forms: K1, which is found in plants, and K2, which is a
group of compounds produced by bacteria.

Discovery and history

In 1929, Danish biochemist and physiologist Henrik Dam observed that chickens fed
a fat-free diet would start bleeding. By 1935, he had discovered the substance that
prevented excessive bleeding, which he named vitamin K. It was isolated in 1939.

Vitamins in Motion

Introducing Vitamins in Motion

Vitamins in Motion is an initiative to raise awareness and advocate for increased access to the essential vitamins all people need to be healthy and well-nourished. Vitamins in Motion aims to highlight the vital role vitamins play in nutrition and health, and calls for finding and implementing scalable, cost-effective solutions to address the world's vitamin deficiencies.

This site provides you with important information, useful tools, latest scientific publications and ground-breaking books, all around micronutrients. Learn more about the initiative - Join us in setting Vitamins into Motion!

DSM hosted a satellite symposium alongside the 12th European Nutrition Conference FENS last week, to discuss the role of micronutrients, including vitamin E and omega-3s, in a targeted approach to Read more...

Congratulations to Mehdi Sadaghian Sadabad who won the DSM Science & Technology Award Europe which is part of the DSM’s Bright Science Awards program, and was presented in partnership with the Read more...

Latest Blog Post

Culture influences food choices and nutrient status at the population level. Even in countries that share cultural roots, there can be marked differences in the consumption of certain foods. New Zealand is a prime example, where recent shortages in supply of the Kiwis own beloved brand of yeast extract spread lead to a “crisis” situation. The consumption of yeast extract spread on bread or toast is not only a quaint undertaking by antipodeans, as the high levels of B-vitamins that are consumed with the spread can be of public health significance. Read more

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The website has been fully integrated into the platform www.nutri-facts.org. NUTRI-FACTS is a high-quality information source about essential micronutrients for consumers, healthcare professionals and media representatives. NUTRI-FACTS offers scientifically substantiated facts and the latest news on vitamins, carotenoids and other micronutrients. Thank you for visiting!